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W. Va. Delegate Donates Special Session Pay To Flood Relief
By: Associated Press
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BECKLEY, W.Va. (AP) – A member of the West Virginia House of Delegates is donating the pay he received for the special legislative session that was held to resolve the state’s budget crisis.
News outlets report Democrat Mick Bates of Raleigh is donating his special session pay of about $3,400 to the United Way of Southern West Virginia to help the state’s flood relief efforts.
Lawmakers were called back in by Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin in May to reach an agreement on the budget. By the time a consensus was reached, the special session had cost taxpayers more than $500,000.
Bates offered to donate the money to Theatre West Virginia to help offset a 10 percent budget cut for the organization, but organization leaders requested that the money be used for flood relief instead.